Paint distributor attachments for paint brushes



United States Patent Office 3,l20,677 Patented F eb.v 11, 1964 3,120,677 PAINT DISTRIBUTOR A'ITACHNIENTS FR PAINT BRUSHES James W. Carpenter, 1333 Winhurst Drive, Akron, Ohio Fiied Aug. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 214,694 17 Ciaims. (Cl. 15--5S1) This invention relates to paint brushes and similar implements and is directed particularly to an improved, manually controlled paint distributor attachment therefor.

Many systems have been devised to conduct paint t the bristles of a paint brush ready for application to the work surface without the necessity of intermittent dipping of the brush into a paint bucket. Some of the systems devised are rather complicated requiring an elaborate, specia-lly constructed brush which may sell at a prohibitive cost in the market place, considering the life of the bristles. Some other systems devised may be attachable to a conventional paint brush. However, the attachments are often unwieldy and render the paint brush awkward Ato paint with and may require the professional painter to develop new techniques in handling the brush. The attachments may cause streaking of the painted surface because the attached device will not follow the bristles of the brush during the painting strokes; and may be subject to snagging by nails protruding from the work surface. Furthermore, either system may be diicult to clean.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple paint distributor as an attachment assembly -for any conventional paint brush and which may be attached to the brush in a matter of a few minutes; which will not interfere with the bristle action during painting nor require the professional painter to develop any new techniques in handling the brush; which is not subject to nail snagging; which is easy to clean; which is inexpensive; which will not drip; and which will not cause streaking of the painted work surface and will follow the bristles no matter whether the brush is stroked in a backand-forth direction employing both sides of the brush, or in a direction employing only one side or only one edge of the brush.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a paint distributor attachment which is readily insertable into the bristle unit and adjustably held in place with respect to the ends of the bristles by relatively simple means.

Other objects inherent in the nature and character of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the drawings and description which follows.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of the distributor attachment assembly as secured to a conventional paint brush with parts broken away and partly in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the distributor at-k tachment assembly as secured to a conventional paint brush;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the bristle gatherer or anti-fingering device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fractional View partly in cross section illustrating U-shaped apped apertures in the conductor tube;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modied bristle gatherer or anti-lingering device and tube guide; and

FIG. 6 is a modification showing an enlarged fractional View partly in cross section of a slitted -aperture arrangement.

In referring to the drawings, especially FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional paint brush 10 is illustrated and is shown as being provided with a paint distributor attachment indicated generally at 12, and ya bristle gatherer or antilingering device 14; the paint distributor attachment and bristle gatherer constituting a paint distributor attachment assembly.

The paint distributor attachment 12 comprises a flexible conductor tube 16 Iand a exible hollow guide or director 18 having a connecting means 20.

The conductor tube 16 may be formed from any suitable exible material, such as plastic tubing, which is not subject to deterioration by paint or paint solvents. An example of a suitable material which may be employed is that which is commonly employed -for plastic surgical tubing and has an Iinside diameter of approximately oneeighth inch. One end of the conductor tube is connected to a remote source of paint supply (not shown) and intervening between the conductor tube and the paint supply would be a valve means (not shown) or a shut-olf device of any suitable character capable of being held in one hand and manually operated by the operator at will Awhile he holds the brush in the other hand.

The opposite end of the conductor tube is sealed and tapered to a bristle-like end. The apertures 22, are preferably ilapped by making U-shaped slits and are preferably spaced from the sealed end of the tube and are made opposed to each other so that in the installed position of the tube the paint will be permitted to ow to the bristles on either side thereof preferably in the direction of the width of the brush rather than the thickness of the brush. The distance that the apertures are spaced from the bristle edges 24 could be about one-half to one and one-half inches, depending on the size of the brush and on what the operator determines to be eifective for the particular work surface.

llhe conductor tube is made sufficiently rigid in one sense by the exible guide as it projects downwardly within the bristle unit of the brush from the holder or hollow guide 18, but is exible enough to follow with the bristles when the bristles are being eXed either back and forth or side to side during painting strokes. It is important that the end of the conductor tube should be closely spaced with respect to the bristle edges but not protruding therefrom so that it will readily follow the bristle action.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2, in order to hold the conductor tube in position enclosed Within the bristle unit 25, the tube is inserted into the bristles from one side of the brush and threaded through the director or hollow guide 18; while the director or guide 18v is inserted into the bristles from the other side of the brush and held therein -by a connecting means 20 to the other side. Therefore, a rbalance is achieved between the conductor tube and resilient guide which serves to Kmaintain both of these elements in the desired position within the bristles.

In this manner of assembly the apertured end of the conductor tube may be adjusted relative to the bristle edges 24 of the brush by manually sliding the tube through the resilient or iiexible guide 18 until the desired effective position is attained.

As illustrated in the drawings, the hollow director or guide 18 preferably constitutes a coiled or helical-type spring of relative light weight and tension because a portion of it may readily serve as a connecting means 20 by uncoiling a predetermined length of the spring, straightening and bending it at substantially right angles and attaching its extremity by wrapping it around a screw 26 secured to the handle means 28 of the brush. By employing a spring in this manner, the portion or connecting means 2i) is suciently stiif so as to hold the guide in the position intended, but will still permit further bending, if necessary, to fit the particular brush thickness. Also, the internal ridges of the coiled spring tend to frictionally hold the conductor tube in the adjusted rotative and lengthwise position respecting the apertures. Obviously, however, the flexible guide 18 does not have to be a spring, but could be a series of connected spaced loops or guides or any other construction of similar resilient or exible character.

A U-shaped clip 30 is attached by its lugs to the handle means 28 of the brush by screws 32 or other suitable means and serves to guide the conductor tube 16 over the handle means of the brush prior to the point of tube insertion into the bristle unit.

It has been found that the action of the bristles and that of the conductor tube as it follows the bristles would tend to pull both the guide and tube out of the bristles if both were inserted into the bristles from the same side of the brush. However, in the manner illustrated and described, the tube, held on the one side of the brush by the clip or similar means, oiisets any tendency for the resilient guide to pull out toward the side of the brush to which it is secured by exerting a stabilizing effect at the weakest point or the point where the connecting means extends from the guide, as may be observed from FIG. 2. Thus the connecting means does not have to be made from a more rigid or thicker material and thus also both the tube and guide maintain their position within the bristles.

` In order that the entry of the conductor tube 16 into the bristles from the one side of the brush will not create a ribbed painting or fingering effect by the resultant rift on that side of the brush, a bristle gatherer or anti-fingering device 14, which may be formed from wire or other suitable material, is provided and which serves to envelop groups of bristles adjacent to the rift, pulling them into position about the tube entry.

The usual manner of installation of the paint distributor attachment assembly is to secure the connecting means 20 to the handle means 28 of the brush and then insert the hollow guide or holder 18 within the heart of the bristles, bending the connecting means after the guide is inserted to obtain the desired position. Then the bristles are parted on the opposite side of the brush from the entry `of the guide and the conductor tube is threaded through the hollow guide and its closed end is adjustably spaced a predetermined distance from the bristle edges 24. The clip 30, which may be attached to the handle means of the brush before or after the tube is threaded through the resilient guide, is attached so that its U-shaped portion extends over the conductor tube to hold it to the brush. A group of bristles on either side of the tube entry is then pulled outwardly from the main group of bristles and the bristle gatherer 14 is slipped thereabout and then the looped ends 36 of the bristle gatherer may be secured to the .sa-me screws 32 which serve to hold the clip 30 to the handle means of the brush.

FIG. discloses a modified device of a unitary bristle gatherer or anti-tingering device and tube guide 38, which not only serves to perform the function of clip 30, but also serves to perform the function of bristle gatherer 14. This device may be stampedfrom a single piece of metal and formed into a tubular body portion 40 through which the conductor tube is guided and held to the brush, lugs 42 adapted to be secured to the handle means of the bush, and ears 44 which serve to envelop or gather the bristles in a manner heretofore described.

In the operation of the paint distributor attachment assembly of this invention, the operator holds and paints with the brush in one hand, and manually operates at will a valve means or shut-off device with the other hand, there being provided between the brush and valve means a sufficient length of conductor tube to permit free movement of the brush.

The paint supply is under pressure and when the operator works the valve means a tiow of paint is driven by the pressure along the length of the conductor tube in the direction of the arrow 46 to the U-shaped apertures 22. The U-shaped apertures act as valve gates which under exerted pressure open outwardly from the main body of the tube, thus permitting the paint to flow from the tube to the bristles. FIG. 6 illustrates a pair of opposed slits 4S which will also act as valve gates and will only open under pressure. The U-shaped apertures, or the modied slitted apertures, both serve to retain the paint within the length of conductor tube between the brush and valve means when no pressure is being exerted.

Thus it now may be seen that the character of the conductor tube is such as to readily follow the bristles of the brush as the bristles are flexed backwards, forwards or sidewards without streaking the surface being painted. As the bristlesV wear down, the conductor tube may be adjusted accordingly within the flexible hollow guide to maintain the desired spaced distance of the distributor apertures from the bristle edges of the brush.

The particular brush illustrated in FIG. 1 is that of a conventional four-inch brush. vIt has been found that a single conductor tube will supply an adequate amount of paint to the bristle edges; however, if the brush were of a larger width, then additional tubes could be readily attached to the brush.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a exible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; and locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and flexible hollow guide means having a portion of said tube received therein; said guide means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges.

2. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a flexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; and locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and helical spring means having a portion of said tube received therein; said helical spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges.

3. A `paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a exible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a'ow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; and locating means for said tube comprising a spring means having a helical first portion for receiving said tube therein, and a second` portion bent at substantially right angles to said helical first portion and adapted for connection with said handle means; said helical first portion of the spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locatnig said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristleedges.

4. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a exible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with opposed flapped apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apped apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates to retain paint within the tube when no pressure is being exerted; and locating means for said tube comprising a spring means having a helical first portion for receiving said tube therein, and a second portion bent at substantially right angles to said helical iirst portion and adapted for connection with said handle means; said helical iirst portion of the spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said iiapped apertures in predetermined relationship to the bristle edges.

5. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a iiexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates to retain paint within the tube when no pressure is being exerted; and locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and exible hollow guide means having a portion of said tube received thereon; said guide means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges.

6. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a iiexibie tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a ow of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates to retain paint within the tube when no pressure is being exerted; and locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and helical spring means having a portion of said tube received therein; said helical spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the Side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges.

7. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a iiexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a iloW of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates to retain paint within the tube When no pressure is being exerted; and locating means for said tube comprising a spring means having a helical rst portion for receiving said tube therein, and a second portion bent at substantially right angles to said helical iirst portion and adapted for connection with said handle means; said helical first portion of the spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating Said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relationship to the bristle edges.

8. A paint distributor attachment assembly for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a tlexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and flexible hollow guide means a portion of said tube received therein; said guide means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the bristles together over the resultant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

9. A paint distributor attachment assembly for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a ilexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and helical spring means having a portion of said tube received therein; said helical spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the bristles together over the resultant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

10. A paint distributor attachment assembly -for a brush having handle means -and bristles thereon, comprising: a flexible tube of predetermined length and being closed .at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a ilow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; locating means for said tube comprising a spring means having a helical first portion for receiving said tube therein, and =a second portion bent at substantially right angles to said iirst portion and adapted for connection with said handle means; said helical iirst portion of the spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the bristles together over the resultant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

11. A paint distributor attachment assembly for a brush having handle means `and bristles thereon, comprising: a flexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a ow of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates Ito retain paint within the tube when no pressure is being exerted; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and flexible hollow guide means having a portion of said tube received therein; said guide means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush -for locating said closed end and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the bristles together over the resultant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

12. A paint distributor attachment assembly for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, cornprising: a ilexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube ad-apted to conduct a ow of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates to retain paint within the tube when no pressure is being exerted; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and helical spring means having a portion of said tube received therein; said helical spring means yand the associate portion of s-aid tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end and said apertures i-n predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the lbristles together 'E' over the resutlant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

13. A paint distributor attachment assembly for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a flexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end `and provided with apertures spaced from said second closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a llow of paint from a remote source under pressure and the apertures adapted to open under said pressure and to act as valve gates to retain paint within the tube when no pressure is being exerted; locating means for said tube comprising a spring means having a helical first portion for receiving said tube therein, and a second portion bent at substantially right angles to said first portion and adapted for connection with said handle means; said helical first portion of the spring means and the associate portion of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said closed end `and said apertures in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the bristles together over the resultant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

14. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: la flexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and flexible hollow guide means having a portion of said tube received therein; and said flexible hollow guide means adapted to be inserted into the side of the bristles of the paint brush from one side of the brush and the associate portion of said ilexible tube adapted to be inserted into the side of` the bristles of the paint brush from the other side of the brush, said guide means and the associate portion of said tube thereby being enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush and located in predetermined relation to the bristle edges.

15. A paint distributor attachment f or a brush having handle means 'and bristles thereon, comprising: a flexible tube of predetermined length and being closed at one end and provided with apertures spaced from said closed end, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and flexible hollow guide means having a portion of said tube received therein; said flexible hollow guide means adapted to be inserted into the side of the bristles of the paint brush from one side of the brush and the associate portion of said flexible tube adapted to be inserted into the side of the bristles of the paint brush from the other side of the brush, said guide means and the associate portion of said tube thereby being enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush and located in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles adjacent to the tube insertion in order to pull the bristles together over the resutlant rift made by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

16. A paint distributor attachment for a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a tlexible tube of predetermined length land having an apertured end portion, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; and locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and guide means with an aperture therein having a por-tion of said tube received in said aperture; said guide means and the associated portions of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said apertured end portion in predetermined relation to the bristle edges.

17. A paint distributor attachment assembly ifor a brush having handle means and bristles thereon, comprising: a ilexible tube of pretermined length and having an apertured end portion, the tube adapted to conduct a flow of paint from a remote source to said bristles; locating means for said tube comprising connecting means adapted for connection with said handle means and guide means with an aperture therein having a portion of said tube received in said aperture; said guide means and the associated portions of said tube adapted to be inserted into the side of and enclosed by the bristles of the paint brush for locating said apertured end portion in predetermined relation to the bristle edges; and means for gathering groups of bristles together over the resultant rift rnade by the insertion of the tube into the bristles.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,041,173 Fairchild May 19, 1936 2,126,999 Mitchell Aug. 16, 1938 2,127,000 Mitchell Aug. 16, 1938 2,190,599 Jones Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT DEEICE CERTIFICATE OE CORRECTION Patent Nm 3, 120,677 February ll, 1964 James W. Carpenter It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 62, for "bush" read brush column 4, line 63, for "loeatnig" read locating column 5, line 19, for "thereon" read there in line 66, after "means" insert having column 7, line 7, strike out "second"; column 8, line I3, for "resutlant" read resultant Signed and sealed this 8th day of September 19164e (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER ERNEST W, SWIDER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

16. A PAINT DISTRIBUTOR ATTACHMENT FOR A BRUSH HAVING HANDLE MEANS AND BRISTLES THEREON, COMPRISING: A FLEXIBLE TUBE OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH AND HAVING AN APERTURED END PORTION, THE TUBE ADAPTED TO CONDUCT A FLOW OF PAINT FROM A REMOTE SOURCE TO SAID BRISTLES; AND LOCATING MEANS FOR SAID TUBE COMPRISING CONNECTING MEANS ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH SAID HANDLE MEANS AND GUIDE MEANS WITH AN APERTURE THEREIN HAVING A PORTION OF SAID TUBE RECEIVED IN SAID APERTURE; SAID GUIDE MEANS AND THE ASSOCIATED PORTIONS OF SAID TUBE ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE SIDE OF AND ENCLOSED BY THE BRISTLES OF THE PAINT BRUSH FOR LOCATING SAID APERTURED END PORTION IN PREDETERMINED RELATION TO THE BRISTLE EDGES. 